Even Closer
by vadso
Summary: Sequel to Closer. Harry and Hermione are closer than ever. Their relationship has at last evolved into something, both of them always wanted with each other. But is their happiness going to last? Is danger still lurking four years after the war? Slight AU


**Even Closer**

*****

**Summary:** After that eventful afternoon in the Grimmauld Place library, Harry and Hermione are closer than ever… Their relationship, presently a secret from the ones who they think would be hurt the most, has finally gained a new name and evolved into something, both of them always wanted with each other. But, is their new found happiness going to last? The war being over for more than four years now, is danger still lurking in the shadows?

**Disclaimer:** All the characters and cannon situations belong to J.K. Rowling. I am not gaining any money through this story. Even though it's pretty obvious, I gotta mention it. I mean, if I _did _own all this stuff, you'd be reading my story in an expensive looking hardback… I guess I should stop babbling now.

**Author's Notes:** Yes people, this is the sequel to Closer (should've guessed from the name, right?!).

*****

Chapter 1

"So!" Draco Malfoy smirked at a distressed looking Hermione Granger as he leaned towards her from the opposite side of her desk. "You finally got the boy wonder to admit his _supposedly_ unrequited but everlasting and all-encompassing love for you?"

His answer was a muffled groan.

Draco Malfoy shook his head and rolled his eyes towards his friend even though she couldn't see it. He waited for her to come out of her temporary fit of mortification and depression. When she didn't for the next thirty seconds, he sighed and ran his hand through the shorter hair which fell in his eyes and freed the longer hair which had been bound in a small ponytail at the base of his head and shook his head again. He was utterly and completely tired.

He had come to his office at exactly 9:30 in the morning. Half an hour early to get his work done much sooner than the deadline which had been assigned to him and his partner, the girl who was sitting in front of him, and had already found her in the ministry archives. But before they could start their research, they had been called, along with their other colleagues to a situation in Diagon Alley. A few Goblins had created some sort of trouble in Knockturn Alley which had spread to the shops which were just outside the shady alley. Controlling them was a work for the aurors and the DMLE team had been called to read them their rights before they were to be arrested. But the Goblins had somehow broken free and tried to escape as they tricked half the aurors with some sort of dark spell they had supposedly bought in the Knockturn Alley. With more than half the auror team decapitated, Draco and his colleagues along with the remaining aurors had to chase them all over the place and finally, get them arrested.

After returning from that chaos, Draco and Hermione had again got back to work in the archives. Spending some while in a stuffy room, overfilled with files and books and other ministry related important top-secret documents, they decided that they would work better from the comfort of their own homes. Having selected the useful books out of a teetering pile, they had both apparated to their respective homes.

Draco almost twisted his ankle as he came to a jerky stop as he apparated to his own room at the Malfoy Manor. The books he was carrying were gigantic and so thick that it was impossible to see in front of him. Only after throwing them on his desk in his room and getting a house-elf to massage his ankle for him did he remember his wand and its uses.

_He was having an unpleasant day after all!_

After spending an hour relaxing and catching up on some sleep that he had been missing on since the last week owing to his busy schedule and pressure of his new project, he finally decided to get some work done. After he was over with his luncheon of course!

The rich gravy he had had with fish and rice made him extremely sleepy again.

But, work was work.

He forced his very unwilling body to sit on his chair and get started on his work. It took him another hour to get a flow in his work. He was not a bad researcher. Not at all. In fact, he considered himself to be very good, the best, only after Hermione. It was just that afternoon when his body cried out for relaxation _and _there was an extremely comfortable bed in his line of sight that had him distracted. But he _did_ start working. He was almost halfway through the thinnest book that he found in his pile when suddenly; a silver otter appeared in front of him and spoke in Hermione's voice.

Hermione had sent him a patronus.

She only sent him a patronus in case of emergencies. And those too, important ones. The patronus asked him to come to their office in the ministry immediately. Without a second thought, he did just that.

Draco Malfoy had always bullied, insulted and sneered at Hermione Granger in school. Everyone who knew them even as mere acquaintances knew that. But what everyone didn't know was that his despicable behaviour was born out of jealousy and a grudging respect for her extraordinary abilities. Draco had always been taught that muggles and muggle-borns were beneath him but a little witch had proved this theory of his father's, drilled in his own mind by his sire, wrong. He even admitted to admiring her a few times. Firstly, for her magical prowess and later for her apparent beauty. She had certainly been beautiful at sixteen and now at twenty two, she was even more so.

But keeping up façades had been important at that time, especially with the war so close. Being in Slytherin made it even more important. He was dead sure neither his father, nor the dark lord would be jumping in joy if he just happened to walk up to the Gryffindor table during breakfast one morning and sit himself beside the girl and start up a conversation about the weather and the latest arithmancy homework. His life span would be cut a lot shorter, no questions asked. And this was not even considering that Potter and Weasley would have beaten the shit out of him for even looking at their best friend; which was an understatement. Heck, even his own friends, believing him a traitor to the Slytherin rules would have given him the third degree.

Suffice to say, Draco liked his fair flawless skin too much to risk anything like that. Thus, he contented himself with insulting her to gain her attention. He had even reduced his insults in their sixth and seventh year, and only thrown witty comments at her which judging from her tiny smiles; she had not disliked and perhaps, had been the only one in her little group to understand. They had finally become friends when they had started work in the same department at the ministry and Draco was proud to say that he had been the one who had extended his hand first. Now, she was one of his best friends and he, hers. Working in the same office for a little more than two years, they had come to sharing everything that happened in their lives.

This wasn't to say that either of their friends liked it.

Pansy Parkinson, his on and off girlfriend, and Theodore Nott had been only too happy to insult her when Draco told them of his new found friendship. Stopping only when Blaise Zabini, Draco's best friend who approved of Hermione Granger, as he thought her, with her fiery personality, rigid morals and attractiveness, unbelievably sexy, had threatened to make their tongues disappear with a very _permanent_ charm the auror department had developed but was still in experiment stage. It only made him and his friend laugh when they both apparated on the spot to god knows where, eyes as big as Bambi's, full of fear and resentment.

Predictably, Weasley had been _very_ vocal with his disapproval regarding his friendship with his then, girlfriend. At least Potter had not created a scene like his red headed (literally!) friend who had bellowed like a bull when he saw them talking and laughing in their office when they first started working together. He had almost accused his girlfriend of cheating on him with Draco. He had been treated with a resounding slap, not unlike the one she had dished to Draco, back in their third year.

Potter had not created a fuss but had disapproved. Only after he was reassured of her happiness did he relent. It was a year later that Draco saw again, slight at first, but unmistakeable signs of censure at their friendship. He had pointed it out to her once but she had only laughed at him. Potter's uneasiness only grew, despite what Hermione believed, and this was when Draco finally understood why. Potter had only fallen in love with their mutual best friend!

Even though they had worked closely for more than two years, there had never been anything romantic between Draco and Hermione. Draco hadn't known what to expect but had only been pleasantly surprised when he found his feelings didn't turn amorous for her. He had certainly grown to love her as a friend, just not in the other way. Also, he had always suspected that she was already in love with, what he later worked out, Potter. Poor Zabini didn't stand a chance!

What baffled him was that neither of them did anything about it. He sneered when he thought about Potter and his sense of friendship to Weasel King which _didn't allow_ him to admit his feelings, only hurting Hermione. And Draco couldn't and wouldn't see that happen. He, after all was a Slytherin at heart and had thus goaded him every chance he got! He hugged Hermione in front of Potter longer than necessary, held her hand, held her waist and even took her out whenever she felt down. He could see Potter gritting his teeth whenever he saw Draco do that but he still didn't come outright and confess his love to his best friend. It was his own loss after all, concluded Draco.

Draco had thus, rushed to the ministry without a second thought, dreading for her safety, only to come face to face with a girl wearing rumpled clothes, sitting behind her desk and holding her anguished face in her hands. Alarmed, he asked her what was wrong. She had not replied at first and had only gotten up and buried her face in his silk shirt covered chest. Baffled, Draco comforted her when she started crying a bit and seated her back on her chair when she stopped.

Draco had then attempted to get out of her, what was causing her misery and made her drink a glass of water, pumpkin juice and a very mild calming potion when she grew frantic again. Draco had listened to her dutifully and smirked widely when she told him about how she tied her best friend to an armchair that he had gifted her and had then attempted to, in her words, _seduce him._ Apparently, they had fallen asleep together, in the literal sense and Hermione had been ecstatic that Harry had finally told her that he loved _her!_ Not Ginny, not Cho and certainly not any of his newer girlfriends. What distressed her was that when she woke up after sometime, she was alone, on her bed, in her room. Potter's absence had not been strange to her at first but when she proceeded to call out to him but couldn't find him anywhere in the house, had she jumped to the worst conclusions.

She thought that Potter believed what they did was a mistake and left as soon as he could without even having the decency of waking her up. He had gone out so that he wouldn't have to face her. Almost ashamed of her forwardness earlier, Hermione grew agonized over her lost love and had escaped the house herself, and unable to bear loneliness, had called him.

Though it would've been his pleasure to put an end to her suffering, he would now have to tell her how Potter really felt about her.

Draco sighed again.

Nope. Not a good day at all.

He conjured a seat beside her and then pocketed his wand before seating himself. He took her small hands off her face and held them in his own, much larger ones, squeezing them gently and thus, making her look at him in the eyes.

"Listen Granger, and listen good because I'm going to force myself to say these disgusting words only once, and that too, only because I don't know why but somehow, I care for you." She only rolled her eyes at him and grinned slightly. "Potter cares for you. More than cares actually, the poor sod is in love with you and whatever misconception that you have planted in your head is exactly that, a misconception."

"_Then why did he leave?"_

"He might've needed some fresh air! For god's sake Granger, aren't you supposed to be smart or something? Four eyes has only been in love with this girl for more than a year, has loved her since he was eleven and when she finally admits to reciprocating his feelings, don't you think he would've been feeling a little overwhelmed?"

"_But Draco! I forced myself on him!"_

Draco couldn't help but grin at her again and stopped immediately when she saw her looking only more embarrassed than she already was.

"You didn't _force_ yourself on him love! The guy defeated the darkest wizard of his time; he would've easily been able to free himself of a couple of silk ribbons if he would've wanted."

"_But what if he was repulsed by my advances and only went through it so as to not hurt my feelings?"_

"Believe me; no guy would be repulsed by what you did! Turned on painfully, more like! If you did that to Blaise, he would get down on one knee and ask you to marry him straight away!"

She scoffed at him, "Draco! Be serious!"

"_I am being serious and reasonable over here Hermione!_ It's you who's being silly! Now tell me love, what did you do after you thought that he _abandoned _you?"

She muttered with her eyes downcast. "I came here and called you…"

Draco sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "Did you leave him a note?"

"…no…"

"_Granger!"_

"_What?"_

"Now he would be wondering where you are and he would be the one, scared shit out of his head that you had second thoughts about him and have now run off with someone else and some place he doesn't know of! And _I _am the first one your bodyguards think of harming when they think that something has happened to you! Do you want me to die? I thought we were best friends!"

"Never took you for a drama queen Draco!" She smirked at him in a way that made his heart fill with pride! He had taught her so well! "But I guess I should've expected it, seeing what a ponce you are!"

"_Hey! I am trying to help with your love life here!"_

The smirk dropped off her face. She grew solemn again and then finally lifted big, doe-like, hopeful eyes to him. "Draco, are you sure he isn't having second thoughts?"

"Yes Hermione, almost as sure as I am that what you really want to do right now is to go back to your lover, tie him up again and-"

"_Finish that sentence Draco Malfoy and I swear I'll tie _you_ up and castrate you with a rusted butter knife!"_

"_Ouch! Hey, it's still kinky!" _

SMACK.

"You didn't have to hit me so hard you know!" Draco glared at her, rubbing his shoulder.

"Draco, you can lift me up with one arm! Do you really expect me to believe that it hurt?!"

"That's because you're so tiny! And I have sensitive shoulders, if you didn't know."

"_Honestly!"_

*****

Hermione apparated on the porch, in front of Grimmauld Place but didn't enter immediately. It was dark and she was sure that Sirius and Remus were back by now. Hermione leaned against the black wooden door embossed with the Black family coat of arms with the motto written in calligraphy beneath it and took a few seconds to catch up with all that had happened. She turned and looked down the street as far as she could to see whether she could see Harry somewhere. The street was empty. Draco was right; Harry would undoubtedly be inside, waiting for her or perhaps trying to avoid her. Whatever he would do, she was ready to face him.

She turned the knob and entered, and a deep chime rang in the house, announcing her arrival. She had taken only a few steps towards the staircase, eager to go to her room when she heard the deep voice of Sirius Black call her, asking her to come to the kitchen.

She turned and went the other way, to find Remus reading out of a cookbook and Sirius stirring something in a deep saucepan, something that was frothing and was of a most unusual orange colour and thick like gravy. She couldn't help but smile!

"Sirius, what are you doing?!" She asked him, walking towards them and peering in the pan.

"It's a new recipe. I'm preparing the dinner myself today." He replied, winking at her and ignoring his best friend's deep sigh.

"And _why_ are you doing that?"

"It is my responsibility to cook for you children once in a while you know, makes me feel fatherly…"

"_He invited the lovely Ms. Crenshaw to dinner today. That's who he's trying to impress." _Remus cut in.

Hermione gaped at him.

"That bimbo who works in your Diagon Alley store??? Sirius, you do realize that she has been married twice and both her husbands have died, mysteriously, I might add…"

"He doesn't listen Hermione, it's no use telling him anything."

"People, I am not _marrying _her. It's just a dinner and a night, if I'm lucky!"

"_Too much information mister father figure!"_ Hermione winced.

Remus laughed. "Well, you kiddos have fun, I'm off! I promised to meet Nymphadora tonight at her favourite restaurant." He bent down and whispered in Hermione's ear, "Just eat salad for dinner tonight, not the orange stuff if you value your health."

"Thanks!"

Sirius was still stirring the concoction which was bubbling now. The events of afternoon and the anxiety as to what were going to happen between her and Harry had already made her stomach queasy. The sight of the gravy succeeded in making her lose her appetite completely.

"Sirius," she said getting up, "I'm really not hungry today. Not feeling well at all. And I have to do a lot of work. Would you mind if I didn't attend your dinner date?"

Sirius turned and looked at her with slightly narrowed and concerned eyes.

"What's wrong sweetheart? Is it really your health? Harry said the same thing to me but I could feel that there was something else wrong with him. Has something happened?"

Hermione was surprised at how close to the truth he really was. But, she decided not to say anything to anyone else until she cleared everything with Harry. She turned back and smiled at him and told him that she was perfectly fine and ran from the kitchen, towards the staircase. She climbed as fast as her slightly tight skirt allowed. Reaching the second floor, she turned sharply in the direction of her room when she collided with something big, warm and solid.

She lost her balance and was about to fall down the stairs and probably would've and broken her neck if the same person hadn't wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and jerked her towards himself with seeker like reflexes.

Presently, Harry was crushing her to his chest even though she had regained her balance, not that she was complaining. He did smell very nice!

She lifted her head and looked at her best friend, who was looking down at her as well with darkened eyes and a very intense expression. Hermione blushed dark and looked down, averting her eyes from his. He had yet to let her go…

"_Hermione_…" she felt rather than heard him whisper, millimetres from her ear. She couldn't help looking up and what she saw made a shiver run down her back.

"Harry, please don't look at me like that." She whispered back, to which he tightened his hold around her. Hermione was surprised to notice how utterly and completely safe and happy she felt in his embrace.

He was stroking her hair now. "Hermione, where did you go?" He asked her in a hushed voice. "You were not there when I went into your room. Do you know how worried I was?"

"I-I just w-went to my office-"she stuttered.

He raised her chin and forced her to look at him again. "Hermione, do you regret what happened in the library?"

"Do _you_ Harry?"

He gave her a look of total surprise and disbelief. "Why would you even ask me that Hermione? Of course not! Did you not hear when I told you how long I have loved you and how much I want you?"

"But you were not there when I woke up! I thought you left me! I thought you didn't want me to be with you and I panicked so I-"

She was cut off when a pair of lips crushed hers. It took her three seconds to start responding and by that time, he had already deepened the kiss. He kissed her hard, tasting her and exploring every crevice of her mouth, leaving her completely breathless and heady. She felt her knees tremble and give way and was certain that it was his grip on her that kept her upright and standing.

It felt too soon when he ended the kiss and she moaned in disapproval, only to gasp when she felt his warm breath on her neck and a nip on her ear lobe. She moaned again as he kissed the back of her ear and left a moist trail down from her ear to her collar bone. He scraped his teeth over her pulse point and whispered in her neck, "Keep up that moaning and I'll take you here against the wall."

One of her hand was entangled in his hair; the other was on his shoulder and pulled a bit at his hair. He hissed and ran his hand down her back and cupped her arse. He raised his other hand and cupped the back of her head and brought her face even closer than it already was to his and gave her another searing kiss.

"Promise me Hermione," he said between laying kisses down her neck and opening the buttons of her shirt, "you'll never leave me again." He had opened the first three buttons of her shirt by now and kissed every spot of visible skin. She gasped when he reached her breasts and nipped gently on her bra clad nipples. Her own hands were running under his shirt by now, scraping his back with her nails.

"I won't." She replied huskily and was pushed back towards the wall of the dark hallway. She raised one leg and hooked it around him, eager to get the friction she badly wanted and bucked against him, lightly at first. Loving the sensation and the deep groan she heard emanate from the back of his throat, she repeated it, forcefully this time.

Harry groaned again and bunched her skirt at her waist. He ran his hand down her long creamy leg and touched for the first time, the silky skin of her inner thigh. Her knickers were wet and she bucked against him again. He bit down on the skin where her neck met the shoulder and she hit her head, back against the wall. He cushioned her head against the inevitable hardness of the wall and this caring behaviour of his aroused her even more.

Hermione had undone all the buttons of Harry's shirt. She touched him the second time and felt the hard muscles of his abdomen clench and tighten under her feather light strokes. Quidditch and physical training at the auror school had done him good! She loved his well defined abs and longed to kiss them.

Her own shirt was completely undone too and Harry had pushed down the straps of her peach coloured satin bra. Her breasts were almost popping out and harry was busy worshipping them with his mouth. She could feel his erection, hard and very noticeable on her stomach. She wanted him so badly that it hurt. She pulled again on his hair and he raised his head. His eyes seemed to be asking her permission to proceed. She smiled at him slightly and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth. Before she could pull away, he caught her lower lip between his teeth and suckled on it hard. Her lips were without doubt bruised but she didn't care. All that mattered was the feeling and the sensations which were crashing on her like huge waves.

She could feel Harry's hand circling her panty clad clitoris and shuddered violently when he pressed on it, hard. His long fingers pushed aside the soaked material of her knickers and he thrust them in her.

She felt her toes curl and her body arched against the wall.

She felt herself convulse as he thrust them in her again and moaned his name, her eyes shut tightly.

"_Oh god Harry!" _She breathed against his neck and felt him tremble as she bit down on his flesh.

"You are going to be the death of me Hermione…" He uttered as she half moaned, half shouted his name again in ecstasy. "How will I be able to let you out of my sight after this?" He pinched her clit and brought her to the very edge of an orgasm.

"I'm yours, Harry." She replied, her voice hoarse and body trembling beneath his touch.

Harry's eyes, if possible, darkened even more. He opened his mouth to say something but a sudden noise distracted them both. They heard a door of a room which had been unoccupied since the last month, a few feet away from them; slam shut, and saw a pair of blue eyes stare at them frostily.

"_You're __**his**__, Hermione?"_

*****

**A.N:** Hello people! So, how was it??? Please, please, please let me know! Click on that little green bar just below these words and gimme a few words. Just a good or bad would suffice too! The next chapter will be uploaded soon as my exams are temporarily over. The next one is on 20th may and I have a lot of time until then. The number of reviews I receive and the time I take to update are inversely proportional. Just remember that.

Thanks for reading anyways!


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